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NARFE Statement on the Reported 2019 Federal Employee Pay Freeze

December 14, 2017

In response to reports that the White House will propose a pay freeze for federal employees in 2019, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) President Richard G. Thissen issued the following statement:
 
“We’re deeply troubled by the report that the White House will be seeking a government-wide pay freeze in 2019. The millions of middle-class federal workers across the United States deserve fair and competitive compensation in exchange for their public service. Many accepted pay freezes when we were in the midst of a recession. But freezing pay when the economy is growing and private-sector pay is increasing is nothing more than an attack on the civil service.
 
“This pay freeze proposal, along with proposed cuts to federal retirement benefits, aims to undermine the value this country places on public service by targeting the income security of those who carry it out. Whether caring for our veterans, responding to disasters or just ensuring the day-to-day operation of democratic government, the work these individuals do is vital to our country, and it should be rewarded, not devalued. As the fiscal year 2019 budget process unfolds, we urge Congress to authorize the modest pay raise federal workers deserve.”